The Cincinnati Comic Expo always has maintained the goal to "make next year bigger and better than the previous year." For 2012, in only its 3rd year of existence, the Cincinnati Comic Expo is taking its largest leap to date and hosting the show on September 22nd and 23rd, a Saturday and a Sunday!

The Cincinnati Comic Expo has also continued to outgrow their confines of space and has decided to move to Exhibit Hall C of the Duke Energy Convention Center. Cincinnati Comic Expo Director Andrew Satterfield said, "The Cincinnati Comic Expo has been a complete success. After the inaugural event in 2010, the momentum for a 2-day show was rapidly building. The number one question I received from fans was always about the expansion of the show. Then the energy from our fans and vendors last year was overwhelming. They want us to take our event to the next level and they supported it by last year’s attendance increasing 40%! We are one of the fastest growing pop culture shows in Ohio."

These 2 decisions will be of great benefit to comic book dealers, comic book artists, comic book fans, and the City of Cincinnati. Dealers and artists now have more time to meet with fans and display their work. The location gives them more room and allows more to attend in what is quickly becoming a popular show. The fans now have more time to meet with their favorite artist, purchase comics, and enjoy the show. No more having to worry about the show closing in one-day and they can enjoy the atmosphere. "The main issue everyone has had with a one day event was time itself. We simply ran out of it. Programming and activities were limited because of scheduling constraints. Also, fans and vendors outside our region are hesitant to travel for a one day show. A weekend event finally allows us to do all the things we need to do to become a regional event. So you can expect more artists, vendors and activities," said Satterfield. The City of Cincinnati now has thousands of comic fans that will spend more time downtown between the exciting days of the show.

Tickets to the public are currently on sale. Tickets can be purchased at the door or people can purchase ahead on the Cincinnati Comic Expo website: www.cincinnaticomicexpo.com. The show has always stressed to people to purchase online ahead of time and avoid waiting in lines on the day of the show. This year, for the first time, the Cincinnati Comic Expo is also offering a Friday Preview Night for those that purchase the VIP package. Fans that purchase the package will have access to the show floor on Friday evening to browse and purchase comics and other merchandise from retailers before the rest of the general public has access the next day. The fans can follow the latest news and for the Cincinnati Comic Expo through Twitter and Facebook, and links to those can found on the website.

Registration for artists and vendors is currently open and available for submission. Registration forms can be found on the Cincinnati Comic Expo website: www.cincinnaticomicexpo.com.

The dates of the show do fall on the same weekend of Cincinnati’s famous Oktoberfest. The comic and guests and patrons from out-of-town have always found this event to be a unique "party" to attend afterwards and can give them a taste of Cincinnati in between the comic festivities of Saturday and Sunday. The Cincinnati Reds are also scheduled to host the Los Angeles Dodgers that weekend, and that can give the guests and patrons an excuse to catch a great baseball game by those Reds at Great American Ball Park. The continuation of the Cincinnati Comic Expo on this same weekend should make this weekend a busy, fun-filled time for the entire Tri-State.

The Cincinnati Comic Expo will keep the staples that have made it famous by showcasing local and national talent as well as the costume contest and the art auction. Plus, there will be many more exciting and new guests and events as well. More on those and details will be coming out in the weeks and months ahead. Satterfield concludes, "When we lift that curtain off the 2012 event I think people are going to be surprised. This is the year we break away and become the regional pop culture show everyone deserves. All of my creative energy has been focused into making sure the 2012 Cincinnati Comic Expo is a rocking success and soundly executed. We are going to blow fans’ minds with fresh new talent, programming and activities."

Voted the #1 Star Wars Artist by the fans worldwide, George Lucas owns more than 90 of Dave Dorman’s original oil paintings. Dave Dorman is a beloved figure and mentor in the comics industry, where he has created art for every major publisher and licensed character within the worlds of science fiction, fantasy and horror, including but not limited to Batman, Conan the Barbarian, Planet of the Apes, King Kong, Spiderman, Buckaroo Banzai, Captain America, Green Hornet, Green Lantern, Indiana Jones, Harry Potter, Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Lord of the Rings, G.I. Joe, Alien, Predator, World of Warcraft, Magic: The Gathering, and many more.

Dorman is an Eisner and Inkpot Award-winning artist for his contributions to the comic book industry (the comic book industry’s Oscar Award), and has been a featured guest many times at San Diego Comic-Con where he exhibits yearly in Booth #4500. Dorman is also an exhibitor at Star Wars Celebration events and Chicago’s C2E2.

Dorman’s own I.P., Steampunk motorcycle western The Wasted Lands, is relaunching in 2012. Dorman’s biography and career retrospective book, ROLLING THUNDER: THE ART OF DAVE DORMAN (IDW/Desperado Publishing) is available on Amazon. Dorman's pencil illustration and traditional oil painting tutorials are available through Hollywood's The Gnomon Workshop.

The weekend of the Cincinnati Comic Expo is also Oktoberfest Zinzinnati. Oktoberfest Zinzinnati is an event that takes place only 3 blocks from the convention center and attracts about half a million people. The Reds are also in town this same weekend. Hotel space will go quickly in downtown Cincinnati and at a premium. DO NOT WAIT TO SECURE YOUR HOTEL ROOM.

THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT WE HAVE SECURED SOME OF THE BEST RATES FOR YOU LISTED BELOW. PLEASE NOTE WE HAVE A LIMITED ROOM BLOCK.

The Millennium Hotel Cincinnati is the "front door" to Cincinnati's Convention Center and is connected to the center by one of the city’s enclosed skywalks. Millennium Hotel Cincinnati, is the perfect hotel headquarters from which to experience the Queen City’s many offerings.

THE AMAZING SARA RICHARD WILL BE ATTENDING HER FIRST CCE!February 9, 2012

Ever since I was a wee nugget, art has been a huge part of my life. Now at the ripe old age of 26, I will be having my first children's comic published in April 2012 called "Kitty and Dino" (published by Yen Press), I've also recently had pin ups published in "Atomic Robo", "Brimstone and the Borderhounds Presents Necrocide", Chris Moreno's "Zombie Dickheads", covers and pin ups for Gateway comics' "Stalker" and "Gateway Legends." (www.gatewaycomicsonline.com) My non comic art can also be seen in multiple issues of Prehistoric Times Magazine were I get to draw my favorite dinosaurs and other extinct animals. I've also been a part of Rittenhouse's Marvel:Dangerous Divas and Marvel Universe 2011, Versicolor's Bettie Page Private Collection, Perna Studio's Classic Mythology sketch cards and Breygent'sVampirella card set. And recently Upperdeck's Avengers Assemble and Marvel Beginnings 2.

I graduated from The Columbus College of Art & Design in May 2008 and landed a tempposition at Hasbro a few weeks later. I sculpted figures for Jurassic Park, GI Joe, Star Wars, Marvel and My Little Pony. My term was up in January 2008 and so I was thrust into the harsh wilderness that is freelancing. From that however, and between jobs from Hasbro, I began developing a style that incorporated my love of Art Nouveau and wildlife (mostly the extinct kind). It also opened up time for me to learn a little bit of hang-gliding too, which I think is an essential skill to have especially with no health insurance. Next up, the fine art of power kite jumping!

I love comics, toys, cartoons, anime, anything nerdy: I will devour it like a fat kid at IHOP. Cosplay is another one of my many geek-tacular activities. I’m a part of a cosplay team called Human Sushi with my two best friends, Abby and J’aimie (see our finer nerd-moments on the YouTube).

The little dinosaur thing I have can be summed up as this: “Dinosaurs are freaking cool.” I’ve been asked about this interest of mine many times and it confuses my why people think a fancy for dinosaurs need to be something you have to grow out of. I think I actually grew into it since I’ve always considered “Jurassic Park” one of my favorite movies, I didn’t actually become paleo-obsessed until senior year at CCAD.

A couple last tidbits be these: I’m heavily inspired by Japanese Ink Paintings (sumi-e) for their simplicity in composition, so much so that my signature is “Sara” in katakana (the Japanese alphabet system for foreign words and names.) and that I try to emulate the simplicity in my work. And also, I’m terrified of centipedes. Check out http://www.SaraRichard.com to see the beginnings of Paleo-Femmes, a couple other book projects and my current work!

The Cincinnati Comic Expo looks to bring the new and the exciting to Cincinnati. The 2012 Cincinnati Comic Expo will be no different with the announcement that Sci-Fi Speed Dating will be participating in the upcoming show.

Sci-Fi Speed Dating travels the country to different sci-fi/comic/fantasy conventions to give like-minded ultra-fans a push in the right direction. Sci-Fi Speed Dating is so intriguing that it was the focus a television series, Geek Love, which aired on TLC.

“This idea came about after seeing something similar at another convention, but they did not know what they were doing, and it was no fun. People were getting up and leaving halfway through. I knew I could do better,” said Ryan Glitch, President of Sci-Fi Speed Dating.

Andrew Satterfield, Director of the Cincinnati Comic Expo said, “The Cincinnati Comic Expo is always looking for ways to enhance our fan experience. When I heard what Ryan was doing with Sci-Fi Speed Dating, I reached out to him. A quick phone call revealed that Ryan is not only a fun guy but he believes in Sci-Fi Speed Dating. His passion has created an unrivaled speed dating experience for fans that are looking for that like minded special someone to share in our culture.”

To participate in the speed dating at the Cincinnati Comic Expo, fans will have to pre-register. Soon, the Cincinnati Comic Expo will have registration available on the website, http://www.cincinnaticomicexpo.com/scifispeeddating.php. Depending on how many people participate, there will be at least one, maybe more, speed dating sessions. All sessions will be held in the afternoon on Saturday, 9/22/12, at the Duke Energy Convention Center. If there are cancellations or last minute open spots, then some people will be able to join the day of the show. Ryan explains, “Usually we have an equal number of guys and girls, and we welcome gay participants to sign up, as we have a way for everyone to speed date.”

While many would be skeptical of finding love at a comic convention, Ryan has evidence otherwise. “Our success rate is pretty good, 2 known engagements, and several other long term relationships have blossomed out of our service. We have been featured at MegaCon, New York Comic Con, Toronto Fan Expo, Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2), Star Wars Celebration, Boston Super Mega Fest, and we are scheduled for Emerald City Comic Con and a few others this year,” stated Ryan.

Fans are asked to keep checking back for the registration forms and the time(s) for speed dating sessions. For those that still have questions or to see more, OWN (the Oprah Winfrey Network) is going to re-play the episodes of Geek Love. Geek Love will air starting at 8pm (EST) on Tuesday, 2/14, in back-to-back episodes. They will re-play again starting at 11pm. People are also encouraged to go the Sci-Fi Speed Dating Facebook site for listings of other shows: https://www.facebook.com/#!/SciFiSpeedDating. Sci-Fi Speeding Dating and fans of Geek Love are trying to get TLC or another television network to pick up the show again. Their discussions and campaign can be found at https://www.facebook.com/#!/GEEKLOVEonTLC.

Sci-Fi Speed Dating has never been to the Tri-State area and this becomes another first in the expansion of the Cincinnati Comic Expo in making it a “bigger and better show” for its fans and patrons. Andrew Satterfield said he wants people to have a good time and enjoy themselves, and then he adds, “I’m hoping that 2 of our fans fall in love and get hitched at a future Expo! Now that would be fun.”

Tony Moore is a cosmic cowboy and comic creator from a small Kentucky town, where he was raised on a steady diet of fried game, cathode rays, and funnybooks. Moore's notable illustration work launching "The Walking Dead" was nominated for two Eisner Awards (2004: Best New Series, and 2005: Best Cover Artist), and The Walking Dead has since become cable's highest-rated drama, airing on AMC.

Moore went on to co-create the booze-fueled space western Fear Agent with Rick Remender at Dark Horse, and the creepy gonzo thriller The Exterminators with Simon Oliver at DC/Vertigo. His recent work includes wild runs on Marvel Comics' Ghost Rider, Punisher and Venom.

He spends his days shooting at things in the woods, and helping his wife chase their squealing baby daughter.

Renato Guedes was born and currently lives in São Paulo, Brazil. Guedes began studying art at Fabrica de Quadrinhos (currently known as the Quanta Academy of Arts). There, he studied comic art. Before he became an artist, Guedes was a publicist agent, occasionally illustrating covers for the Opera Graphica.

Guedes has done some work for Avatar Press, with their StarGate SG-1 and Saw: Rebirth titles. He also did the art on 24: One Shot for IDW Publishing. Guedes previously worked with DC Comics, and has worked on Action Comics, Smallville, Superman, OMAC and Supergirl. He drew 19 issues of Superman from 629 to 691 and he is now under an exclusive artist contact for Marvel Comics penciling Wolverine and The Avengers.

I'm an illustrator, cartoonist and painter from New York. I live in a very old house with my husband and our little tuxedo cat, Figs.

I've been drawing and creating pictures all my life, always dreaming of making books and paintings as a full time profession. Encouraged by my family, I pursued my dream and am now fortunate enough to create everyday. Working traditionally with pencil and paint on paper, I pride myself on carrying on techniques passed down from mentors and family members. Currently, I work on comics, picture books, book covers and magazine illustrations. When time allows, I participate in gallery shows, exhibits, and comic conventions.

I'm a big collector of vintage and everything mid century. Major inspirations include music (Punk, Rockabilly, Jazz), mid century album cover art, monster movies, old Golden books and children's books, early animation and circus sideshows.

Robert Atkins has worked as a penciler, inker and colorist within the comic industry. His most recent work includes the penciling chores on IDW's Snake Eyes and relaunch for GI JOE! Robert has also worked on Amazing Spider-man, Heroes for Hire, Ultimate Fantastic Four and The Savage She Hulk for Marvel comics.

Other works include stories for the Heroes online comic for NBC, Legion of Superheroes for DC comics Snake Eyes: Declassified and Forgotten Realms for DDP. Upcoming projects include an Original Graphic novel written by Ryan Schiffrin and Larry Hama called "Shadow Gambit", which is scheduled for release the summer of 2012

He is also co-creating a series titled Elders of the RuneStone with writer Quinn Johnson (KungFu Panda, TMNT), which is scheduled for release this year as well!

You can check out his daily sketch blog at www.robertatkinsart.blogspot.com

"SAGA OF THE SWAMP THING" TOM YEATES CONTINUES THE SAGA OF THE CINCINNATI COMIC EXPO WITH RARE APPEARANCE6/11/2012

Thomas Yeates grew up in Sacramento, northern California, he was born there in 1955. He attended college in Utah, Sacramento, and the Joe Kubert School in New Jersey. Since then he has been working as an illustrator, focusing on high adventure in the comic book/graphic novel field. He has worked for most of the major companies in that field, DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Dark Horse Comics, Eclipse, etc. He has illustrated Swamp Thing, Timespirits, Tarzan, Conan, Zorro, myths and legends for Lerner Publishing and many short stories.

Recently he has illustrated Edgar Rice Burroughs’ John Carter of Mars for Barnes & Noble publishing and a series of books on myths by the popular writer Anthony Horowitz. His latest released work is The Once and Future Tarzan serialized in Dark Horse Presents #s 8-10. The Outlaw Prince from Dark Horse, a graphic novel based on Edgar Rice Burroughs' The Outlaw of Torn was released in 2011.

He is currently working on a western graphic novel based on a Louis L'Amour story, Groo VS Conan with Sergio Aragones and illustrating the Sunday Prince Valiant page written by Mark Schultz for King Features Syndicate.

Over an illustrious forty year career, Rick Veitch has written and illustrated fifteen graphic novels of his own and contributed to over a dozen others, collaborating with acknowledged masters of comic book art such as Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, Bryan Talbot, Tommy Lee Edwards and of course, Tom Yeates, John Totleben and S.R. Bissette.

Rick shows no sign of letting up. Building on his early series such as SWAMP THING, THE ONE, THE MAXIMORTAL, BRAT PACK and RARE BIT FIENDS the last decade has seen a string of cutting edge work. In fact, Rick drew John Constantine, who debuted in issue 37 of Saga of the Swamp Thing. Veitch has collaborated with several masters of comic book art. His poetic meditation, CAN'T GET NO, was named one of the Best Books Of 2006 by Publisher's Weekly. Newsday called it “One of the most thoughtful and even satisfying artistic responses to Set. 11 to date".

During the Bush/Cheney years, Rick wrote and drew ARMY@LOVE, a deeply subversive and wildly satiric look at the wars in the Middle East. The series was named one of the Best Of 2008 by The Comics Journal. His recent one-shot from Image Comics, THE BIG LIE, created national headlines. He is currently illustrating the EQUIPMENT FOR LIFE educational comic’s workshop for the University of Quebec. He recently completed a comic’s biography of Kim Dot-Com for WIRED Magazine.

The 2012 Cincinnati Comic Expo will be his first convention appearance in the United States in over a decade!

Excitement continues as the Cincinnati Comic Expo announces their next Guest of Honor is "Saga of the Swamp Thing" artist, John Totleben. June 13, 2012

John Totleben is probably best known for his work as artist/inker on the now classic mid-1980's horror comic book series Saga of The Swamp Thing, done in collaboration with writer Alan Moore and co-artist/penciller Steve Bissette, and Miracleman: Bk. III/ OLYMPUS, again with Moore. After their stint on SOTST, Bissette & Totleben co-created the horror anthology TABOO. While working on SOTST, he instigated the creation of John Constantine, who continues to be a popular character to this day and somehow even managed to find his way into a Hollywood movie in 2005.

Totleben also worked on several other comic titles including 1963 (with Swamp Thing cohorts Moore, Bissette and Rick Veitch), Vermillion, The Dreaming, The Legend of the Green Flame, Ultimate Marvel Team-Up, and X-Men Unlimited, as well as numerous painted and line art covers for many comics and publishers. He has also won numerous Kirby Awards and an Inkpot Award for his work in comics.

In June of 1986, the artist was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), a progressive degenerative disease of the eye. Considered legally blind for the past seventeen years, Totleben still continues to produce art, though at a slower pace than previously.

Please note that John will be signing all weekend but will not be sketching.

John Totleben is attending his first major comic show in over 10 years.

The Cincinnati Comic Expo is thrilled to announce that four legendary Swamp Thing artists—Tom Yeates, Rick Veitch, John Totleben, and Stephen R. Bissette—will appear, together for the first time, as the Expo’s 2012 Guests of Honor. June 13, 2012

The Director of the Cincinnati Comic Expo, Andrew Satterfield, said, “I am always looking for opportunities for our fans to meet extraordinary creators. The chance to meet even one of these hugely talented gentlemen is an extremely rare treat. All four in one room is like winning the lottery.”

Long-time collaborators Yeates, Veitch, Totleben, and Bissette were part of the 1980s team (along with writer Alan Moore) chosen by DC Comics to revive the comic series, Swamp Thing. Bringing them together as Guests of Honor at the Cincinnati Comics Expo is a reunion of epic proportions—a once in a lifetime opportunity for fans to meet these award-winning artists at the same time.

Their spectacular run on Swamp Thing is historic for several reasons. One, their 1980s run of Saga of the Swamp Thing was the first mainstream comic to write directly for adults. Another history making moment occurred with issue 37, published in 1985, when the well-known character of John Constantine made his first appearance, drawn by Rick Veitch and John Totleben.

The collaborative creativity of Yeates, Veitch, Totleben, and Bissette was so close that they often worked on the same issue of the comic, with one creating the cover art, another doing the pencil work and another the inking. At times, on every other issue, they would swap duties and this really made the comic a group effort.

All 4 will be available to meet fans and sign books at the show. The Cincinnati Comic Expo will also host a panel with all of them on stage to have a collective gathering and discussion on their work and Swamp Thing. More details will come out about that before the show.

Tom YeatesTom Yeates has previous work on Prince Valiant and Zorro. Most recently, he also completed work on John Carter of Mars. He has not attended a Midwest convention in over a decade. The Tom Yeates official website is: http://www.thomasyeates.com/

Rick VeitchRick Veitch has done some work on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and on the re-launch of Aquaman. The Cincinnati Comic Expo is Rick’s first convention appearance in the United States in 10 years. Rick’s website is: http://www.rickveitch.com/

John TotlebenJohn Totleben is a multi-Kirby Award winner. He was also awarded the Inkpot Award. John also worked on the comic Miracleman and Taboo, which originally published From Hell. John is attending his first major show in nearly 10 years.

Stephen R. BissetteStephen R. Bissette is also a multi-Kirby Award winner. Stephen is currently best known for his horror work. He was also a member of the first graduating class from the Kubert School along with Yeates and Veitch. Stephen has not appeared at a convention is 15 years. More on Bissette can be found at: http://srbissette.com/

The 2012 Cincinnati Comic Expo will be held from Friday, September 21, through Sunday, September 23, at the Duke Energy Convention Center. Tickets vary in price and can be purchased online. More information on events and other artists attending the show can be found at www.cincinnaticomicexpo.com.

For those that don't follow us on Facebook or check out the website I thought it might be a good idea to list the creators attending this year so far. Vendor and Fan Group updates coming up within a week!